Bid alone against the other three, or ally with one of them.
Whist where partnerships are temporary and usually you are on your own. Four players, thirteen cards each, dealt in batches of three with a final single card.
The dealer's last card is turned face up and its suit is provisional trump. Whether it stays trump depends on the bid.
Proposal and acceptance — you offer to partner whoever accepts, and the two of you undertake to take eight of the thirteen tricks with the turned suit as trump. Solo — alone, five tricks, turned suit as trump. Misère — alone, no tricks at all, no trump. Abundance — alone, nine tricks, in a trump suit of your choosing, named only after the bidding closes. Open misère — alone, no tricks, and your hand laid face up on the table after the first trick. Abundance declared — alone, all thirteen tricks, no trump, and you lead.
Each bid must be higher than the last. Three passes end the auction.
Normally the player to the dealer's left leads, except in abundance declared. Follow suit if you can, otherwise anything. Highest trump wins, otherwise highest card of the suit led.
Settled in chips at a fixed rate per bid, rising steeply with the contract. Everyone pays the successful bidder, or is paid by the failed one, so three defenders each settle separately — which is why a failed abundance is expensive.